Why was NFL investigating Ravens? How Lamar Jackson late injury status change drew league scrutiny

Daniel Chavkin

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Why was NFL investigating Ravens? How Lamar Jackson late injury status change drew league scrutiny image

The Baltimore Ravens had been waiting for Lamar Jackson to return to the field, but it wasn't in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears.

It seemed as though Jackson was ready to play against Chicago, as Baltimore listed him as a full participant in Friday’s practice that week. However, the Ravens declared him out for the game on Saturday, putting them in the spotlight after needing to change Jackson’s injury status from Friday.

As a result, the NFL launched an investigation into the matter. Lamar Jackson returned to the field in Week 9 on Thursday Night Football in a blowout win over the Miami Dolphins. The NFL revealed the results of their investigation on Friday, Oct. 31.

MORE: How Lamar Jackson has tormented Dolphins throughout his career

What happened to Lamar Jackson?

After missing the previous two games, along with enjoying a bye week, Lamar Jackson appeared ready to return for the Ravens against the Bears. Jackson practiced throughout the week, and Baltimore listed him as a full participant in Friday’s practice.

However, on Saturday, Jackson’s status took a turn. The Ravens retroactively changed his Friday practice designation to limited and ruled him out for Sunday’s game, announcing that Tyler Huntley would get the start.

This drew scrutiny among fans, as it is unusual for a team to change a player’s practice designation the day after. In a statement, the Ravens clarified that Jackson participated fully but didn’t take starter reps, and after discussing the situation with the NFL, they changed his designation to limited.

Jackson took reps on the scout team, which is not what he would do if he were the unquestioned starter for the week. NFL rules state that a player who participates in scout team reps for injury reasons should be listed as a limited participant.

Since the Ravens had to change Jackson's practice participation designation, the NFL will look into it further as part of its policy regarding injury participation changes.

After the Ravens beat the  Chicago Bears in Week 8, Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh said that he's "not involved in the injury designations." He then admitted that the team made an honest mistake and hopes to have Jackson back by Thursday's game. 

MORE: Ranking the 13 greatest Ravens players of all time

Will the NFL fine the Ravens?

On Friday, Oct. 31, the NFL fined the Ravens $100,000 for violating the league's injury report policy.

Baltimore released a statement that they will not be appealing the fine, saying it "clearly made an error."

A recent example of an incident like this came in 2023, when the Atlanta Falcons were fined $75,000, and then-head coach Arthur Smith was fined $25,000 for an incident surrounding Bijan Robinson.

NBC's Mike Florio said the Jackson situation will be "an opportunity for the league to make a very strong statement on a very important topic." He added that fines, potential loss of draft picks and even suspensions could be on the table, depending what the NFL finds in its investigation.

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